Name: Brown rice congee with ginger and chilli-black bean sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 750 ml (3 cups) chicken stock; 350 gm (1½ cups) brown rice; 30 gm ginger, thinly sliced plus extra, finely grated, to serve; 8 dried scallops; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 12 scallops, cleaned; To serve: thinly sliced spring onion; Chilli-black bean sauce; 100 gm long red chillies; 4 red birdseye chillies, half the seeds discarded; 100 gm salted black beans, rinsed and finely chopped (see note); 2 tbsp peanut oil; 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar; 1 tbsp white sugar, or to taste

Brown rice congee with ginger and chilli-black bean sauce

Congee just might be one of the world's most comforting dishes.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

15M

Cook

1H 40M

Total

1H 55M

Congee, also known as jook in China and chao in Vietnam, is one of the world’s most comforting dishes. It has a mild flavour, but when served with condiments it can be as tasty as your palate demands. Top it with a couple of seared scallops for a little bit of luxe.

Ingredients

750 ml (3 cups) chicken stock

350 gm (1½ cups) brown rice

30 gm ginger, thinly sliced plus extra, finely grated, to serve

8 dried scallops

2 tbsp vegetable oil

12 scallops, cleaned

To serve: thinly sliced spring onion

Chilli-black bean sauce

100 gm long red chillies

4 red birdseye chillies, half the seeds discarded

100 gm salted black beans, rinsed and finely chopped (see note)

2 tbsp peanut oil

2 tbsp Shaoxing wine

2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar

1 tbsp white sugar, or to taste

Method

Main

1.For chilli-black bean sauce, process chillies and black beans in a small food processor until finely chopped, then fry in oil over low-medium heat to soften (4-5 minutes). Stir in Shaoxing and vinegar, simmer until reduced by half (2-3 minutes), stir in sugar. Refrigerate in a sterile jar for up to 3 weeks.

2.Bring stock, rice, ginger, scallops and 2.25 litres water to the simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, half-cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches a porridge consistency (1¼-1½ hours). Season to taste with sea salt and coarsely ground white pepper.

3.Heat oil in a frying pan over high heat, add scallops and sear, turning once, until browned at the edges (30 seconds each side).

4.Serve congee hot topped with seared scallops, spring onion, grated ginger, coarsely ground white pepper and chilli-black bean sauce.